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F. THORNTON, 1a., AND F. F. FORSHEE.

ELECTRIC HEATER. I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1918;

1,362,060, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS m Frank Thormon, Jhd: W Frank E Fanshee AT'ToRNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics.

FRANK THORNTON, JR., 013 MANSFIELD, OI-IIO, AND FRANK F. FORSI-IEE, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC PRODUCTS COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Application filed June 29, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK THORNTON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, and FRANK F. Fonsrmn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Heaters, of which the following is a specification. Our invention relates to electric heaters of the radiant or reflector type, and it has for its object to provide a heater of the character designated which shall be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and effective in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heater of the above-designated character which shall have the heater element so disposed and mounted that substantially all of the heat rays shall be reflected, as a substantially cylindrical beam, from a polished curved surface and so that the heater element and its terminal block may be readily detached and removed rearwardly from the reflector.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a heater constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the heater shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that a portion of the reflector is broken away; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the heater element and its terminal block; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is an end elevation and Fig. 7 a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of the insulating end block or spider for the heater element; and Figs. 8 and 9 are views, corresponding respectively to Figs. 6 and 7, of an intermediate supporting block or spider for the heater element.

The structural features of the heater illustrated in the drawings will now be de scribed, it being understood, however, that they aresubject to variations as to form, dimensions and, in some respects, as to relative locations, within the scope of the inventlona The sheet-metal reflector 1 has a concave reflecting surface which may be a segment Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Dec. 1st, 192%.

Serial No. 242,627.

of either a hollow sphere or a parabola but is here shown as having the contour of a segment of a hollow sphere and, as is usual in such devices, being provided with a polished surface, preferably of copper. A. ro tecting guard 2 shown as comprising a base ring 3 and a set of curved wires 4: that converge substantially to a point where they are clamped together by means of disks 5. The spaced ends of the wires may be suitably fastened to the ring 8 by welding or otherwise. Some of the wires 4;, here shown as three in number, may be of greater length than the others in order to project beyond the ring 3, and these projecting ends may be bent, as indicated at 6, to effect a detachable clamping engagement either with the surface of the rim 7 of the reflector l or with holes formed therein. it will be understood, from this construction, that the guard 2 may be readily attached to, and detached from, the reflector by fastening means of a very simple and inexpensive character.

The back of the reflector 1 is preferably provided with a pair of ears 8 which, as shown, are properly spaced and are fastened in position by rivets or screws. The upper ends of curved supporting arms 9 are attached to the ears 8 by rivets or screw pivots 10, and the lower ends of the arms are joined together and securely mounted upon a base 11. The arms may be of resilient material and be frictionally held between the rivet or screw heads and the ears 8 with su'liiient force to retain the reflector in any position to which it may be rotatively adjusted.

A suitable handle 12 may be attached to the rear of the reflector by rivets or screws for use in moving the device when desired.

The reflector is provided with a centrally located opening 13 and with a rearwardly projecting tube 14 that may be an integral part of the reflector body or be suitably fastened thereto. The tube 14: serves as a support for a heater-element terminal block 15 of such form and dimensions as to'flt securely, but detachably, therein. The tubular insulating terminal block 15 is provided with rearwardly -projecting terminals 16 and a forwardly-projecting screw-threaded rod 17 having a nut 18 to en age the front face of the block. The rod 1 constitutes a support for the heater element 19 which comprises a tube 20 of non-conducting material two non-conductin suortin r: 0 blocks or spiders 21 and 22 and a heater as a unit, from the reflector, the opening 13 in e rear of the latter being of suiiiclent dimensions to permit the heater element to pass through it. The structure may be fastened in position by any suitable means, binding screws 2% being shown as utilized for this purpose.

It will be noted that the heater element is supported independently of the terminals which connect it to an external circuit and that its longitudinal axis is coincident with the axis of the reflector and, inasmuch as these axes are also coincident with that of the guard member 2, the heater element will be substantially concealed from the view of anyone directly in front of the heater by the clamping disks 5, and substantially all of the heat rays gen rated by the coil 23 will be reflected forwardly as an approximately cylindrical beam.

As hereiubefore suggested, the structural details illustrated and described may be modified within reasonable limits so long as such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

\Ve claim as our invention:

1. An electrical heater comprising a reflector having an axial rear opening and a tubular holder projecting rearwardly therefrom, a rearwardly removable terminal block seated in said holder and a tubular heater element supported by said terminal block in alinement therewith.

2. An electrical heater comprising a concave reflector having an axial rear opening and a. tubular holder projecting rearwardly therefrom, a terminal block seated in said holder and a tubular heater element rigidly supported by, and in alinement with, said terminal block and rearwardly removable through the axial opening in the reflector.

3. An electrical heater comprising a concave reflector having an axial rear opening and a tubular holder projecting rearwardly therefrom and a rearwardly removable unit comprising a terminal block and heater element supported by said holder.

4. An electrical heater comprising a concave reflector, a support therefor and a unit comp ising a heater element and terminal block supported by said reflector and removable rearwardly therefrom.

An electrical heater comprising a support, a concave reflector adjustably mounted thereon and a unit comprising a terminal block and tubular heater element axially disposed in front of said reflector and rearwardly removable therefrom.

(3. An electrical heater comprising a supporting stand, a concave reflector mounted thereon, a rearwardly removable terminal block supported by said reflector an d a tubular heater supported by, and projecting axially forward from, said terminal block and removable rearwardly from said re- Hector.

7. An electrical heater comprising a re fl .ctor having an axial rear opening and a tubular iolder projecting rearwardly therefrom, an insulating block seated in said hoider, contact terminals mounted in said block, a tubular heater element disposed in front of said reflector, and a rod supported by said block and supporting said heater element, said block, rod and heater element being in axial al'inement with said reflector and removable rearwardly therefrom as a unit.

8. An electrical heater comprising a reflector having an axial rear opening and a tubular holder projecting rearwardly therefrom, an insulating block seated in said holder, a plurality of contact terminals mounted. on said block, a tubular heater element disposed in front of said reflector, a rod supported by said block and coaxial therewith, a plurality of insulating members on said rod for supporting said heater in axial alinement with said rod, said block, rod, insulating members and heater element being rearwardly removable from said reflector as a unit.

9. An electrical heater comprising a refiector having an axial rear opening and a tubular holder projecting rearwardly therefrom, an insulating block seated in said holder, a plurality of contact terminals mounted on said block, a tubular heater disposed in front of said reflector and in axial alinement therewith, and a rod supported by said block and in turn supporting said heater element at a plurality of points, said block, rod and heater element being rearwardly removable as a unit from said tubular holder.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 20th day of June,

FRANK THORNTON JR. FRANK F. roRsHEri 

